Carbon dioxide adsorbed on the egg of the egg, starting from the kitchen to counter global warming

A thin membrane on the inside of egg shellEggshell membraneIt seems to call it, but when it is peeled off boiled eggs it is annoying,Semipermeable membraneThat film that you have used in science experiments as an example of might be in the limelight.

In a study by Indian scientists, the eggshell membrane is about seven times the weight of carbon dioxideadsorptionIt is proved to be possible and it is suggested that it can be used for global warming countermeasures.

Details are as below.Eggshells could help combat climate change, research suggests

Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere began to rise from the mid-nineteenth century when the industrial revolution due to the energy of fossil fuel occurred, and before the industrial revolution, the volume of carbon dioxide was 280PpmIt was up to 381 ppm in 2005. As of October 2010, it seems that the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is 388 ppm.

Since 1751, carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuel burning and cement production is said to be close to 300 billion tons, but half of this 300 billion tons was emitted after the mid-1970s , How do you imagine how quickly the greenhouse effect is progressing in the last few decades?

University of CalcuttaOf Department of Chemical EngineeringBasab ChaudhuriProfessor's research has revealed that the eggshell membrane can absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide up to 7 times its own weight at maximum. Thesis isInternational Journal of Global WarmingIt is published in the magazine.

Carbon dioxide absorbed in the eggshell membrane can be stored until a method of effective utilization with low environmental load is established. Carbon dioxide is used as a raw material for various products in the chemical industry,Toxic solventIn addition to these industrial applications, it may be developed in the future to produce non-polluting fuels from carbon dioxide stored in the eggshell membrane in the future.

Eggshell membrane is just inside hard shell of egg, protein fiber isCalcium carbonateIt is a membrane with a structure like woven fabric entangled with it, about 100 micrometers (0.1 mm) thick.


Professor Chaudhuri et al. Succeeded in using the weak acid to peel the eggshell membrane from the outer shell and use it as a carbon dioxide adsorbent. For use at the industrial level, it is necessary to establish a mechanical method to separate the eggshell membrane from the shell, but just by exposing the skin of the egg used for cooking at home to the air will absorb carbon dioxide, It seems that it is possible to lower the carbon dioxide concentration of the kitchen slightly.

Although it may say that we can adsorb seven times the weight of carbon dioxide, we may think that the weight of one egg is known, but in India 1.6 million tons of eggs are consumed annually It is said that. Because the egg cornea is about 0.7% of the egg egg weight ratio, it means that 11 thousand ton eggshell membranes are discarded. If this is used as a carbon dioxide adsorbent all about 78,000 tons of carbon dioxide can be adsorbed and stored.

By the way, it is said that about 2.5 million tons of eggs are consumed annually in Japan, where the population is about one-tenth of India consuming the world's largest egg consumption per citizen, so about 120 thousand tons per year It means that an eggshell membrane is present in an amount capable of adsorbing carbon dioxide.